raise (one's) hackles

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raise (one's) hackles

To greatly irritate, annoy, or aggravate one. The disrespect he showed our professor during class raised my hackles so badly that I had to go take a walk to calm down.The politician has a gift for raising his opponents' hackles during debates.

raise one's hackles

Make one very angry, as in That really raised my hackles when he pitched straight at the batter's head. Hackles are the hairs on the back of an animal's neck, which stick up when the animal feels fearful or angry. [Late 1800s]

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